Five Things Rayna Told Tandy
by KarenES
Summary: For the August Five Things/Times Fic Challenge. Five conversations, spanning 25 years, between Rayna and Tandy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I planned this as a one-shot but I'm afraid it got away from me, so there will be a second chapter. Thanks to Shiny Jewel for beta-reading.**

**1. "Oh, and by the way? From now on, it's Rayna Jaymes."**

Tandy stood in the hallway, watching the frantic activity taking place in her sister's bedroom.

"What the hell are you doing with those suitcases?" she asked, finally.

"Moving out," Rayna said, not looking up from packing. "Daddy's kicking me out of the house."

"What?!"

"I thought you knew."

Tandy walked into the room. "Rayna, what in heaven's name are you talking about? Where do you think you're going?"

Rayna gazed levelly at her sister. "He told me if I couldn't, 'Live by his rules' – or some bullshit like that - I wasn't welcome here anymore. Said I might as well just, 'Get out, and get out now.' So - I'm going."

She turned and pulled another drawer out of her dresser, scooping up the nightgowns inside and layering them into one of half a dozen suitcases laid open on her four-poster bed.

"Rayna, you are the flightiest girl on the planet, do you know that? Where do you come up with these crazy ideas? Where do you think you're going?"

"Deacon's. Now shut up so I can finish packing my stuff." Rayna turned and walked into her closet, gathering armfuls of skirts and dresses.

"Rayna, honey …" Tandy walked over and put her hand on Rayna's arm. "Wait – who's _Duncan_? Is he that drummer you were talking about?"

"_Deacon,_" Rayna glared, and inclined her head meaningfully to the left. "He plays the guitar."

Tandy followed her gaze and realized that a dark-haired, clean-shaven young man was sitting quietly in the corner. He was hunched forward in Rayna's armchair, looking serious and terribly uncomfortable, his hands resting awkwardly on his knees. His eyes never left Rayna as she bustled around the room.

"Oh," Tandy said, startled that she hadn't noticed him. "I'm sorry, Dun…_Deacon_, I didn't see you there."

"Uhhh … that's okay, m'am," he said, standing up and walking across the room, extending his hand shyly. "Deacon Claybourne. I'm … well, I guess I'm a friend of Rayna's. And Mr. White's."

"Oh, you know Watty, huh? Could y'all excuse us just a minute? I need to speak to Rayna. If you will scoot yourself right on down to the kitchen, our Cleo will fix you something to eat. Maybe a piece of that pecan pie she made for dessert."

Deacon looked down at his boots and scuffed the right toe slowly into the plush green carpet, seemingly lost in thought. Then he looked up at Tandy again.

"I'm … I'm not really hungry, thank you though. Hey Ray, why don't I go on down to the truck, move some stuff around. I didn't realize you'd have all these … _clothes_."

Deacon's voice trailed off as his eyes widened, taking in her cavernous walk-in closet and elaborate canopied bed, piled high with designer fashions.

"Sure, Deacon, okay. I won't be much longer."

He walked toward the door, stopping just before he crossed the threshold. He turned back to Tandy again, an earnest look on his face.

"M'am … uh, I, well, I don't want you to go gettin' the wrong impression here. I didn't mean to interfere between Rayna and her daddy. He just … well, he lit into her somethin' fierce when she told him about her gig tonight, and I just offered to help, is all."

Tandy stared at him, taken aback by the sincerity in his eyes. "Uh …" she started, but he grabbed her hand again and shook it briskly.

"Very nice to meet you, m'am," he said, fleeing down the hallway.

Tandy spun around and put her hands on her hips, looking at Rayna.

"_M'am_? Really?" was all she could say, as she watched Rayna empty a sock drawer into an increasingly over-stuffed Gucci bag. "How old is that guy?"

"Deacon? Mmm … I'm not sure. He and Vince are pretty old though, I think. Like … maybe _20_?"

Tandy heaved a sigh.

"I'm 20, Rayna. That's not old!" She walked across the room and took hold of Rayna's shoulders. "Hey. Would you stop packing for one minute and talk to me?"

Rayna rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, readying herself for a lecture.

"Rayna, you know Daddy doesn't mean half the things he says when he's mad. Give him some time and talk to him again before you do anything drastic."

"He means it this time, Tandy. He told me that if I throw my life away on music, like Mama did, I'm not welcome under his roof. Deacon heard him – he was dead serious."

Rayna's voice was shaking a little, but a moment later she stiffened her spine and tossed her hair over her shoulder, raising her chin.

"Well, you know what, Tandy? He ruined everything for Mama, but he's not going to ruin it for me. I've got a gig tonight. They're going to pay me and everything. Watty says Mama wouldn't want me to pass up this chance."

Tandy sighed, far more interested in the Wyatt family reputation than in Rayna's musical aspirations.

"Rayna, you're really not going to move in with that boy, are you?"

"Well, Daddy didn't leave me much choice in that matter now, did he? Deacon said I could stay with him and Vince as long as I want. He's going to sleep on the floor in Vince's room so I can have his bed. Isn't that sweet?"

Rayna picked up her denim skirt with the fringe, the one she planned to wear later that evening, and hugged it to her chest before laying it out on the bed.

"He's _so good _on that guitar, Tandy, you should hear him. There's nothing he can't play; Watty says he's one of the best he's ever seen. And he picks up new material faster than anybody. I wish I was half as good as he is. Oh, and he can sing too - and he writes songs. He says he wants to write with me."

"Yeah. I bet there's lots of stuff he wants to do with you, Rayna," Tandy said dryly.

"How do you mean?"

"Honey, I love you, but … you are so naïve. Don't you know why this guy and his roommate want to get you into their apartment? You're young and pretty and – well, I bet they're probably drawing straws right about now."

Rayna scowled and turned back to her packing. "You don't understand."

"Oh, I understand, Rayna. I understand perfectly-"

Rayna turned and stamped her foot, glaring at her sister.

"No! You don't understand a thing! You don't understand me – you don't understand _us!_ We're musicians. We're artists … like Mama was; like Watty. You heard Deacon. He's trying to help me, is all. He respects me – he respects my music. Something no one in this house does!"

Tandy sighed and rolled her eyes. Rayna was always going on and on about her _art_, but all Tandy knew is that her younger sister's reputation in Belle Meade – heck, in all of Nashville – would be ruined if she moved in with two men.

"Rayna, you're only 16. You're too young to be out on your own. You haven't even had your debutante ball yet. What will people say?"

"Oh, please. You think I give a shit about what _people say_? And I'm not going through all that debutante crap, so forget about it."

Tandy laid a hand on her sister's arm. "Listen: Go ahead and go, and take an overnight bag with you. Stay with Watty tonight and I'll talk to Daddy tomorrow, get him softened up. You'll be back home in no time, Rayna Wyatt, you'll see."

Rayna closed her suitcase, looking over at her sister. Suddenly, the 16-year-old looked so wise beyond her years – and so much like their mother - that Tandy's heart skipped a beat.

"I'm never coming back home, Tandy," she said softly. "I love you – and I love Daddy too, if I'm honest. But he hates me. I don't know why, but ever since Mama died, he can't stand to even look at me. It's like he blames me or something …"

Rayna's voice trailed off and she bowed her head, struggling to hold back tears. Then she sniffled hard, wiped her nose, picked up a suitcase and started for the door, daring Tandy to stop her.

As she walked into the hall she stopped and looked back, defiant.

"Oh, and by the way? From now on, it's Rayna Jaymes."

**2. "It's not ****_a_**** baby, Tandy. It's his baby - Deacon's baby."**

Tandy rapped her knuckles hard on the apartment door and rang the bell again, a worried look on her face. Rayna had been ducking her calls for more than two weeks.

The door cracked open slowly and Tandy peered into the darkness of her sister's apartment. Rayna appeared in the doorway barefoot, her face sallow. Her hair was disheveled and her robe was dirty.

"What do you want, showing up here so early?" Rayna demanded. She might look like hell, but she sounded exactly like her feisty, old self.

"Rayna, it's almost 10 o'clock. Since when is that _early_?" Tandy started, but Rayna blanched suddenly, covered her mouth and bolted from the door.

"Rayna?!"

Tandy walked briskly into the apartment, looking around at the uncharacteristic mess in the living room, and shut the door behind her. She wasn't sure where Rayna was until she heard the sound of retching down the hall. She hurried into the bathroom to find her sister kneeling on the floor in front of the toilet.

Tandy quickly dropped her purse on the counter and moved to her sister, sweeping her hair off her face and putting a firm hand on her forehead. She held it there while Rayna vomited repeatedly, choking and spitting, and then dissolved into sobs.

'Oh, Rayna, honey! Why didn't you tell me you had the flu? Here I was thinking you were mad at me," Tandy said, helping Rayna up and flushing the toilet. She turned on the tap so her sister could wash her face and handed her a cup so she could rinse her mouth out.

Rayna complied meekly, continuing to cry. Tandy reached into a drawer and took out a brush, pulling Rayna's hair up into a ponytail and readjusting her robe where it had fallen off her shoulders, revealing a short, pink nightgown that looked like it had seen better days.

"That's better. Now let's get you to bed and get you settled, honey," Tandy said, her hands on Rayna's shoulders.

"Thank you," Rayna said, between sobs. "That's just what Mama used to do - hold my head like that when I got sick."

"I know. She did that for me, too. Hey, there's no need to cry now. You just sleep for a while and I'll stay here and straighten up your place. It's probably one of those 24-hour bugs. I'll go out and get you some 7-Up and you'll feel just as good as new in a day or two, you'll see."

Tandy helped Rayna into her bedroom, straightening her crumpled bedcovers and picking up the clothes strewn around the floor. Rayna took a tissue from her nightstand and wiped her eyes, her face grim.

"Tandy," she said, sitting on the edge of her bed. "This is not the stomach flu."

"What? How long have you been sick? Rayna … oh my god, are you hung over?" Tandy sat next to her sister and placed the back of her hand on Rayna's forehead. "Well, no fever, so that's good."

Rayna looked into Tandy's eyes for a moment, hesitating.

"Tandy…" she said, weakly.

"Could it be something you ate last night? Did you and Teddy go out somewhere?"

"Tandy," Rayna said, forcefully enough to momentarily halt her sister's chatter. "Will you just listen to me for a minute? I'm not sick."

Tandy raised her eyebrows, waiting. Rayna looked down at her hands, then back up at her sister.

"I'm pregnant."

It didn't happen often, but for once Tandy Wyatt was actually stunned into silence. She stared so long that Rayna finally looked away.

"Oh my, Rayna! That's … well, that's wonderful. Does Teddy know? He must be thrilled."

Rayna looked back at her sister, the expression on her face so fierce it nearly frightened Tandy to death, and her eyes widened. "_Jesus_, Rayna … it's not Teddy's?"

If anything, Rayna looked grimmer than before, her jaw tightening ferociously and her eyes trained on Tandy, whose mouth dropped open as she understood, finally.

Rayna put her hand up and shook her head, warning Tandy not to start. "I don't want to hear a word about it, Tandy. I'm not kidding."

"But how …" Tandy said, chastened by her sister's resolve, her voice lowered to a whisper. "It's _Deacon's_? Are you sure?"

Rayna leveled another if-looks-could-kill stare in her sister's direction.

"You mean, there's no way it could be Teddy's?"

Rayna looked down at her lap and sighed. "Well … I guess it could. I mean, yeah, technically - it could be Teddy's. Except the timing's not really right. And Teddy always … uses protection."

"And Deacon …?"

Rayna kept her head bowed, reaching up impatiently to wipe away a stray tear.

"Oh, I get it. You make Teddy wear a condom and you let _Deacon_ …" Tandy stood up and walked across the room, searching for the right word. When she couldn't quite find it, she turned around, furious. "You let Deacon … _without a condom?_ Rayna, what were you thinking? Or no, don't even tell me. When it comes to that man, you don't _think_ at all, do you? You never could help yourself around him."

Rayna stood up and faced her sister, the fury returned to her face.

"I told you, I don't want to hear this from you, Tandy. Not now. If you can't help yourself - if you can't keep from lecturing me - then just _leave_. I didn't ask for your help."

"Rayna …" Tandy said, taking her sister's arm. But Rayna pulled away and walked across the small bedroom, leaning her hands on the dresser, her face turned away. She spoke evenly.

"First of all, I didn't _let_ Deacon do anything. I wasn't some bystander, or - or _victim -_ okay? I'm a grown woman. We had sex. This is not his fault – so don't try to make it out that way. We … _he_ never uses a condom because he doesn't have to. I was always on the pill, when we were together."

"And …?"

"And, I'm not anymore. I haven't been for months. Dr. Madsen took me off it. He said I'd been on it so long I should take a break. And I figured that would be okay."

"And then you had sex with Deacon anyway. Unprotected sex. God, I'm surprised you don't have an STD by now."

Rayna had no idea how it happened, she only knew that she was gripped by a blind fury the likes of which she'd never felt before. She crossed the room in two steps, pulled her hand back and slapped Tandy - hard - across the left side of her face. Her sister's head snapped around and she brought her hands up to her cheek, suddenly bright red.

Tandy looked at her, astonished, tears of pain springing to her eyes.

"Deacon doesn't _fuck other women_, Tandy," Rayna said, her voice low and menacing.

"Rayna! How the hell would you know that?"

"I _know._ I know him. He loves me. He would never lie to me."

"God, Rayna, listen to you! What is _wrong_ with you?! He's lied to you for years! How many times has he told you he's going to stop boozing, and popping pills, and - whatever the hell else he's doing?"

"He wasn't lying when he said those things. He meant them; he tried. He just … he can't ..."

Rayna's voice trailed off and she turned away. They stood in the bedroom for a long moment, the awkward silence building between them.

"I'm sorry I hit you," Rayna mumbled, finally.

Tandy walked over and put her arm around the younger woman's shoulders.

"Well … it hurt, damn it. Don't do it again. But I shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry. You've got a lot more important things to think about right now."

Rayna turned and hugged Tandy, surprising her. The two had never seen eye-to-eye, growing up, and they'd grown further estranged after Rayna left home and Tandy got her MBA and started working for Lamar.

"At least one of my daughters is upholding the family legacy," was the way the old man usually put it. Tandy's priorities and attitudes were so different from Rayna's that it was hard sometimes to believe they were sisters.

And then there was Deacon, whose mere presence in Rayna's life had inserted an even bigger wedge between her and the Wyatts. Since the two of them had been a couple, they'd made a life for themselves largely separate from either of their families.

"So – have you told him? Deacon, I mean?"

"No," Rayna said quietly, pulling away and sitting down on her bed, facing her sister. "He's … back in rehab. Again. I've got to talk to him. But Coleman ... well, he thinks I need to cut Deacon loose; break up with him for good. He says that's the only way Deacon's ever going to get better, and I want him to get better. I want that so much ... "

"Oh, Rayna," Tandy said, dismayed but not especially surprised. "Why don't you talk to Teddy? I mean, if the baby could be his, why not just tell him you're pregnant and see what he says?"

"Right, and then what? 'Oh, and by the way, I slept with Deacon a while back, so I'm not sure who the father is. Thought you might want to know that.' Yeah, that'll go over like gangbusters."

"Really, Rayna, you don't have to _say_ anything."

Rayna looked daggers at her sister. "God, Tandy! That's the way you and Daddy do things, not me. I can't do that … I can't let Teddy think this child is his if it's not."

Tandy sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"Rayna, you don't have to do this at all, you know. I mean, it's Tennessee – but you do have options."

"I know," Rayna said stonily. "I've thought about all the options."

"And?"

"I want this baby."

"Rayna, you're still young yet. There are going to be lots of chances - better times for you to have a baby."

"It's not_ a_ baby, Tandy. It's _his_ baby - Deacon's baby. I've wanted this - I've wanted his child - forever. For as long as I can remember. And I'm afraid this is my last chance. He may not be around much longer, if he can't stay sober. And it sure looks like he can't."

Rayna voice wobbled and she looked down, fighting hard not to cry again.

"Oh, Rayna. Oh honey …" Tandy said, cringing. "Let me talk to Teddy. Please. I'm not going to say too much, I promise. Just let me try and get him to come here and talk to you about all this. Can I do that? Let me help both of you. You never know what we might be able to figure out."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks again to Shiny Jewel for beta-reading this fic and thanks to everyone who participated in August's fic challenge. It was great to see the stories pouring in on deadline. For this final month of hiatus, the challenge is "short and sweet": Write a fluffy/happy story on any topic of 1,000 words or less. Posting deadline is on or before the U.S. premiere date of Sept. 25.**

**3. "Seriously though - am I supposed to let this go on forever? Him not knowing she's his flesh and blood?"**

**"**5-6-7-8 … all right, that's the chorus. And, last verse, one more time now …"

Rayna looked to her left and smiled, nodding her approval to Deacon. He raised his eyebrows, concentrating hard, and turned to cue the last few bars of the song. It was his first day back at rehearsal with Rayna and she watched him as he expertly brought this final number to a close, ended rehearsal and instructed the band on call time for their weekend gig.

Without really realizing it, she had missed the effortless way he pulled everyone together. His unique demeanor - laid-back but competent – had always made him the ideal band leader. Not to mention he had a work ethic that made him both effective and well-liked among musicians, executives and audiences alike.

It was so good, working alongside him again. Just like old times.

Just like old times, of course - minus the hangovers, the days he was a no-show and worse, the days he turned up so wasted he was useless. Yeah, it was just like old times. Almost.

Rayna's nanny, Sue-Ann, emerged from her dressing room with Maddie on her hip. Rayna smiled and reached for her daughter.

"Hey, baby girl. Did you take a nap for Sue-Ann?" she cooed, nuzzling Maddie's soft baby skin and cuddling her close.

"She sure did – almost two hours," Sue-Ann drawled, beaming at her charge. "She's just the sweetest lil' darlin'. No trouble at all, are you Maddie-kins?"

Deacon walked up and smiled at Maddie, offering his finger for her to grab.

"Hey, little Maddie. How are you doin', darlin'?"

The dark-haired, 20-month-old shied away and ducked her face into Rayna's shoulder, spurning Deacon's attempt to make friends. His was an unfamiliar face, and Maddie tended to be shy, Rayna started to explain.

But before she could speak, Maddie spun around and extended her arms to Deacon, scrambling toward him.

Deacon looked perplexed. "What is it she wants?"

Rayna could scarcely speak, she was so surprised. But Sue-Ann smiled fetchingly at Deacon.

"Well, she wants you to hold her, that's what she wants," she said, helping Maddie scoot into Deacon's arms, where she settled immediately, resting her chubby left hand on the back of his neck and exploring his beard with the fingers of her right hand.

He laughed, looking from Maddie to Rayna to Sue-Ann.

"Oh, you're good with babies, aren't you Mr. Claybourne? I can tell," Sue-Ann drawled, gazing up at him through her blonde eyelashes.

"Well, I dunno about that. But that was one thing that was never lackin' in my family, growin' up: Lots of babies and kids, with all the cousins around. I had to pitch in and take care of 'em once in a while, I guess," he said, meeting Sue-Ann's gaze and smiling.

"Oh yeah? That sounds like my family. We always had passels of cousins around our place, too!"

Rayna looked on, a sick feeling growing in her stomach. She couldn't quite pinpoint the primary cause: Her 23-year-old employee flirting shamelessly with her ex-boyfriend; the way he was absolutely eating it up; or the sight of Maddie, her face happily nestled next to Deacon's, while he rambled on about his _kinfolk_ - without realizing he held his own daughter in his arms.

She was about to reach up and take Maddie from him when she noticed the little girl had managed to get a solid hold on a good chunk of Deacon's beard, which was longer than usual. Rayna waited just a half-minute more until, sure enough, Maddie yanked hard, causing Deacon to yelp in protest and jump sideways.

Rayna smirked, privately applauding her daughter's impeccable timing, as Sue-Ann burst into peals of girly laughter and Deacon rubbed his chin and shook his head.

"Guess she doesn't like me as much as I thought she did," he said, smiling sheepishly. Rayna reached over and scooped Maddie from his arms.

"Actually, that just means she's comfortable with you. She's pulled out whole clumps of my hair. And she practically ripped my earring out last week. Guess I won't be wearing hoops for a while," Rayna said.

Sue-Ann had recovered from her fit of giggles and was back to gazing up at Deacon and smiling. Rayna looked at her, annoyed.

"Sue-Ann, would you go get Maddie's stuff packed up, please? We need to get her home, it's getting late."

"Oh – sure thing, Ms. Jaymes. I'll get everything together in jiffy."

"Thanks," Rayna said, watching as the young woman walked back to the dressing room. She noticed that Deacon was watching intently, too. She looked at him pointedly.

"Seems like a real fine babysitter you got there," he said, grinning.

In the old days, Rayna would have smacked him on the arm and teased him about the sudden interest he was taking in the teachers, or store clerks, or hairdressers who hung around after their shows, asking for his autograph and swearing they were his biggest fans.

And he would have commented elaborately on each of them: Was it the blonde who'd said she was a nurse? And how sweet was that pretty, petite one who said she was in marketing? Eventually, Rayna would have rolled her eyes and smacked him again, a little harder this time, shooting him a warning look.

And then he would have gathered her up in his arms and laughed at her, reminding her about the thousands of men who couldn't take their eyes off of her on stage; reminding her that he couldn't even look at other women, not for a minute, because she had ruined him for anyone else. And then he would have declared that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever met – and the only one he'd ever loved.

And she would have resisted his embrace for a moment, before relaxing and letting him kiss her. And she would have declared that he owed her a back rub once they got back to the hotel. And he would have taken his penance gladly - knowing exactly how back rubs ended.

Rayna smiled a little to herself.

"Ray?"

She looked up, coloring slightly when she realized he was still standing there, looking at her with a curious expression on his face, as if he wondered what she was thinking.

"Yeah, Deacon. Sorry. I'm tired, I guess. She's been teething and she's had me up at night this week," she said, looking at Maddie and kissing her forehead. "Hey, thanks for today, I thought it went good. What'd you think?"

"Yeah … it went well. We got a few bumps to iron out, probably, a few guys I need to spend some more time with, get to know 'em a little better, see what all they can do. But, yeah, I'd say this thing just might work out. It might not be such a bad idea, you and me makin' music together. Imagine that, huh?"

He smiled, his dimples on full display and his eyes twinkling at her in that way they had, the one that made her knees go weak.

Rayna smiled too, then looked away, afraid that his effect on her was all too obvious.

"Okay then," she said shortly. "I guess I'll see you Saturday, huh?"

"Yeah," he said, laying his hand on hers. "Hey, Ray? Thanks for tellin' me you needed me and askin' me to come back and work with you. It feels real good - bein' up on stage with you again, y'know?"

She hesitated a moment, then looked up at him. He had moved closer to her.

"Yeah, I know. It feels good to me, too," she said softly. "And Deacon? I'm really proud of you, what you're doing, working the program and all. It feels - I dunno; it feels real different this time, I guess."

He looked at her and his eyes held an expression that she wasn't sure how to read – a promise, maybe. "It _is_ different, Rayna. _I'm_ different. You'll see."

He leaned down and kissed her cheek. She closed her eyes, her heart leaping for a moment, before Maddie – who had been mesmerized during this conversation – turned her cheek and presented it to Deacon, making kissing noises with her mouth.

He and Rayna both laughed.

"Oh, you want a kiss too, just like Mama? Okay – but no beard-pullin' now."

He leaned over and planted a tiny kiss on her cheek, then darted in quickly and blew a raspberry on the soft nape of her neck, making Maddie scrunch up her shoulders and dissolve into peals of baby laughter.

"Again!" she demanded, presenting her cheek to him so he could repeat the procedure, which he did - making her laugh heartily once more.

"Again!" she cried, but Rayna turned away, picking up her music and her car keys. "All right, y'all get that started and she'll never stop. C'mon baby girl, we gotta go home. It's getting late and Mama's tired."

She turned back and looked at Deacon, who was still standing there, watching the two of them.

"Goodnight, Deacon," she said.

Teddy was out of town for a few days, so Rayna sent Sue-Ann home early. She fed Maddie dinner – sharing her yogurt, crackers and fruit – and took longer than usual to get through her bath-and-bed routine. It was precious, this time together, and Rayna knew she would soon have less of it, now that she was back to performing and planning her new album.

Maddie went to sleep with a minimum of fuss and Rayna went to bed early, exhausted. Just as she crawled under the covers, her cell phone rang. It was Teddy, with an enthusiastic update on his meetings in Phoenix. He sounded upbeat – almost too upbeat, she thought – about the blockbuster land deal he'd gone all in on, investing the last of his trust fund money, sure this venture would be the winner he needed to end a long business slump.

Rayna tried to concentrate on the conversation, but she was relieved when he said he needed to go meet up with some clients at the hotel bar. She promised to pick him up at the airport the following afternoon.

She had just turned on the late local news when her phone rang again: _Tandy_.

Rayna nearly didn't answer. Her sister had been trying hard to mend fences since Lamar had mentioned he knew about Deacon being Maddie's biological father. Rayna had been furious, knowing exactly how that news had leaked.

Tandy was a good, kind aunt – and Maddie adored her - but it was clear that Rayna couldn't trust her. It had been as much Tandy as Teddy, after all, who had persuaded Rayna to _do right_ by Maddie and let Teddy raise her as his own.

It had seemed like her only choice, at the time, but it was a decision that Rayna was coming to regret.

What harm would it do, they'd argued, keeping a dangerous, violent man like Deacon out of Maddie's life? He'd only be a bad influence, a constant heartache, a safety risk. Letting Deacon think she was Teddy's – as it quickly became obvious he did – was the best thing for everyone.

Rayna grimaced but picked up the phone just before it went to voicemail.

"Hey, how'd your day go?" Tandy launched right in. "Did you hear from Teddy?"

"Yeah, he just called; sounds like everything's going good."

"Okay. How are you?"

"Me? I'm fine. Just kind of tired. Maddie's been cutting molars this week and then we had rehearsal all afternoon, so …"

"Wasn't this Deacon's first day back?"

"Yeah, it was, it went fine. He's a pro, you know, he'll pick everything up real quick."

"Uh-huh. And how was it, between the two of you?"

Rayna paused a moment, annoyed. "It was fine, Tandy. I just told you."

"Well, you haven't exactly spent a lot of time with him since …"

"No. I haven't. It was kind of weird, I guess. But good, too. Really good."

"You think it's gonna work out? I mean, can you be around him without …?"

"God, I don't know, Tandy. You should've seen him with Maddie. She took to him like nobody's business. I've never seen her that friendly before. It was … eerie."

"_Oh my god_."

"And he - man, he's doing great. You'd never believe how good he looks. Coleman tells me he's at five or six meetings a week. He shows up early and stays late. It's like he's suddenly a model of recovery."

Rayna shook her head and sighed deeply.

"What? Rayna – talk to me. What are you thinking?"

Rayna knew she shouldn't let it happen, but she felt her guard slipping. "I don't know. It just – it felt so _strange_, seeing the two of them together. Tandy, he deserves to know the truth. Doesn't he?"

"_Rayna!_ Are you crazy?"

"I'm just thinking out loud. Seriously though - am I supposed to let this go on forever? Him not knowing she's his flesh and blood? Doesn't she deserve to know where she comes from?"

"She comes from _you_, Rayna. You and Teddy. He loves that little girl to pieces, and she adores him - you're always telling me that. You're giving her the kind of home you always wanted, growing up, right?"

"I know, Tandy. But Deacon's better now - he would love her to pieces, too. This feels so wrong, in so many ways."

"Yes, he's better _now_, Rayna. And what would happen if he knew that you'd been lying to him, every moment, for the last two years? Do you remember how every little thing used to set him off? Do you want to be responsible for the drunk driving, and the rages, and him ... busting up your house or something?"

"No. Of course not. So, what am I going to do?"

"You're going to do just what you've _been_ doing: You're not going to say anything."

Rayna was quiet for a long time, and then she begged off the phone, telling her sister she was exhausted. Maddie slept peacefully that night, but Rayna tossed and turned. And when she awoke, she had a plan.

It persisted until she went to the airport that afternoon. Teddy was there, looking as whipped and as tragic as she'd ever seen him. His deal, the one he'd staked everything on, had fallen through in the end. The gamble he'd made with the last of the money he'd brought into their marriage had gone sour, and he had only himself to blame.

On the way home, he nearly refused to speak. He was remote during dinner and insisted on bathing Maddie and putting her to bed himself.

She watched from the nursery doorway as he sang to her and rocked her and changed her diaper. Rayna walked over to the crib and stood next to him, taking his hand, both of them looking down as Maddie drifted off to sleep.

"I don't know what I'd do," he murmured, under his breath.

"What?"

Teddy looked over at her, his eyes brimming with tears. "If I didn't have you - if I didn't have my two girls - I wouldn't have anything to live for. Y'all are the best part of my life. Marrying you and becoming Maddie's father – those are the only two really good decisions I've ever made, Rayna."

Rayna wrapped him up in her arms and led him into their bedroom, making love to him with an unusual intensity that he put down to his week-long absence.

Afterward, he fell asleep quickly but Rayna lay awake for a long time, thinking. Teddy had put his heart in her hands, had made a sacrifice for her that few men would ever make. And Deacon was doing better – so much better - without her.

She recalled Coleman's words, when Deacon was at his worst. "You've got to cut him loose, Rayna. That's his only chance to make it - really make it."

It had been awful - a nightmare - to follow his advice. But she had, and she'd said yes to Teddy. None of it had felt right then, and it still didn't, years later. But it had been right, Rayna decided.

It had been her only choice.

**4. "Yeah, it's over. It's really over."**

"Okay, time for a toast. I got some champagne for the occasion," Tandy announced, carrying a chilled bottle from her kitchen to the dining room table. She motioned to Rayna to pull out some glasses from her china cabinet.

Rayna carefully selected three champagne flutes, passing them to Tandy, who had successfully opened the bottle with a satisfying pop that elicited a happy squeal from Maddie.

Tandy filled the three glasses, then looked at Rayna quizzically.

"Where's your glass, honey? Aren't you joining us?"

"Oh, uh, no – not today," Rayna said, smiling apologetically as she handed the brimming champagne glasses to her husband and father.

Tandy looked confused, but she grasped her glass and held it high. Lamar and Teddy followed suit as Rayna and Maddie held up their water glasses.

"Here's to the wonderful fathers at this table. Happy Father's Day to both of them," Tandy said, smiling. "Cheers!"

Everyone gathered around the colorful table, set impeccably with Tandy's lovely collection of china and glassware and brimming with platters full of more food than 10 people could eat. They murmured their own cheers and clinked their glasses together, Rayna privately annoyed at her sister's description of Lamar's fathering skills as "wonderful," but determined to keep the peace for once.

Maddie made extra sure that she touched her water glass to Lamar's, Rayna's, Teddy's and Tandy's - at least twice each. Tandy pulled out her chair at the head of the table and sat down, looking at her father expectantly.

"So, any words of wisdom from our honored guests today?" she asked, teasingly, as the rest of the family took their seats.

Lamar huffed sourly, waiving off the request and picking up his silverware, ready to be done with the ceremony and dig into the pot roast that Tandy had had in the oven all afternoon.

But Teddy cleared his throat, looking around the table with a smile that crinkled up the corners of his eyes and brought out his dimples. "Uh, I … well, Rayna and I, actually … we have something we'd like to say…" he began, as Rayna colored and looked down at her plate, a small smile on her face.

Tandy and Lamar exchanged glances. The look on Teddy's face was enough to make even Lamar put his napkin on his lap and his fork back down beside his plate. Teddy cleared his throat a couple of times, nervously.

"Well, come on!" the old man growled. "Don't keep us waiting for this food forever. Something's going on with you two – what is it?!"

Teddy shot Rayna a look, and they smiled wryly at each other. Her father was infamous for spoiling even the happiest of occasions, but Teddy was determined not to let that happen this time.

"Okay, Lamar – give me a minute here," he said, gathering his thoughts. "Rayna and I would like to let you all know …" he paused dramatically, looking around at everyone again. "Well, we're going to be welcoming a new member into our family very soon. A baby – _another_ baby. Just after the first of the year."

Tandy's mouth flew open and her eyes widened as she looked over at her sister. Rayna smiled and nodded at her. Even Lamar seemed stunned, but he recovered quickly and clapped Teddy on the back.

"Well, congratulations!" he said, getting to his feet stiffly so he could come around the table and plant a kiss on Rayna's cheek. "I was starting to wonder if you had it in you, son."

Rayna's mouth fell open at this remark and she exchanged wide-eyed glances with Teddy, who was so happy that - for once - he didn't care what kind of venom Lamar was spewing. She laughed softly, shaking her head at Teddy even as she accepted Lamar's kiss and took his outstretched hand in her own.

"I'm happy for you, Rayna, I really am," he whispered in her ear.

Rayna managed a polite, "Thanks, Daddy," as her father walked back to his seat and Tandy got up, bestowing a tight hug around her sister's neck. "I'm so happy for you, Rayna! Congratulations."

She turned to Maddie next and pulled the little girl into a hug as well. "And what about you, missy?! Are you excited about being a big sister?"

Maddie smiled and nodded enthusiastically: "Mama says I can help her with the new baby when he comes home from the hospital."

"When _he _comes home, huh? I take it we're hoping for a boy this time around?" Tandy inquired, smiling at Teddy as she went back to her seat and started passing the platters around the table. "C'mon everybody, let's dig in before all this food gets cold."

Dinner was delicious and the meal was full of happy chatter about Rayna's due date, how she was feeling, all the nursery decorations and the accessories that would have to be purchased for the new baby, and how he – or _she _– would fit into Rayna's and Teddy's busy schedules.

When they finished, Rayna got up to help Tandy clear the table. Immediately, both men ordered her to sit back down, telling her she needed to rest.

She looked at them, plates in hand, and smiled, rolling her eyes. "Oh honestly, you two, knock it off! I'm not going to break – and I feel fine. Better than ever, in fact. It's Father's Day – why don't you two go sit by the pool with your cigars while Tandy and I get the coffee on and dish up some of that dessert I brought?"

Maddie piped up immediately: "Mama, can I go in the pool with Daddy? I brought my swim suit!"

"Uh … I guess so, if Daddy thinks it's warm enough," Rayna said, looking over at Teddy.

"Sure honey," he replied, getting up and taking Maddie's hand. "Let's go get our suits on and we'll show PaPaw how you're learning to swim. How about that?"

"Yeah!" the little girl shouted, running into the front room to grab her bag, barely dodging Tandy and her armful of dirty glasses as she went.

"Careful, Maddie!" Rayna shook her head at the girl's enthusiasm, but smiled as she walked around the table, stacking up the dishes and following her sister into the kitchen.

"So - a new baby!" Tandy said, putting both hands on the kitchen counter and beaming at Rayna, who set the plates into the sink. Tandy opened the dishwasher and began filling it as Rayna rinsed the dishes and handed them over.

"Yep," Rayna said, smiling over at her sister.

"And, how are you feeling about it?"

"I'm feeling fine, really. No morning sickness to speak of, this time – no more than a couple of icky stomachs and some food aversions. Other than that, I'm tired all the time, so I've been taking naps in the afternoons. But it's all good, really."

"I'm glad, honey. But I meant … how are you feeling about _things,_ this time? A lot different from the last time around, I bet. And I mean, it wasn't so many years ago you were talking about …" Tandy lowered her voice to a hush. "Well, about Deacon, and telling him about Maddie, and all that. I guess this means you're not planning on doing that?"

Rayna kept her focus on the pots and pans she'd moved into the sink for scrubbing and tightened her jaw imperceptibly - but firmly enough that Tandy caught the motion.

"Oh, you know, that … that was all just talk, Tandy. I don't know what I was thinking, really. I just … I guess it just threw me, working with him again, at first. But we're fine now. Great friends, and all that."

Rayna looked up at her sister with a cheery smile, her face flushed with the steam from the hot water she was running in the sink. Tandy put her hand on Rayna's arm and looked deep into her eyes.

"Rayna, honey, talk to me. C'mon, sit over here a minute. Leave all that – Marisol will get it in the morning when she comes in. I'll put the coffee on and we'll have a chat."

Rayna sighed, but allowed herself to be led over to Tandy's counter and guided onto a stool. Tandy turned and opened her refrigerator, extracting the Boston cream pie – Teddy's favorite - that Rayna had brought from the local bakery. She set it in front of Rayna with a knife and a stack of plates.

"Why don't you serve that up for me, while I get the coffee ready. Then we'll call them in for dessert."

Rayna nodded, eyeing her sister warily. Tandy was determined to get some drama out of this pregnancy, she could tell, and she was determined not to provide it. For once, her life was in a good place. And with another baby on the way, the last thing she wanted was to up-end the fragile balance she had achieved: Contentment with Teddy, joy with Maddie and - finally - friendship and creative partnership with Deacon.

"Have you told Deacon yet? About the new baby?"

"Um … no, not yet. We haven't told anyone but you. I have to figure out my schedule for the rest of the year, talk to Bucky and then the two of us will take a plan to Edgehill."

"But Deacon … surely you're going to tell him before long, right? I mean – won't he want to know?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess so. I mean, I owe it to him to tell him soon. He's always got offers a mile long, but he gives me priority, so – maybe this'll give him a chance to try out some new things, you know? Find out what's around that next bend in the river."

Rayna seemed so calm and dispassionate, talking about Deacon in purely professional terms, that Tandy was confused.

"So, that's it, then? It's over – _really over_ – between you two? I guess I just never thought I'd see this day, somehow."

Rayna shot Tandy a scathing look. "Now, why do want to go asking me something like that? How about you and Martin? Is that _over_ Tandy - really over?"

Tandy burst out laughing. "Oh god, Rayna! Like anybody would compare me and Martin to you and Deacon. Please, don't even go there."

Rayna smiled, softening as she thought about Tandy's short-lived marriage, which had recently ended but had not been much lamented. She looked suddenly wistful, a sadness creeping into her eyes. "Yeah, it's over," she sighed. "It's really over. I mean, we're good friends, we're _great_ friends, but – that's all. Funny, isn't it? I never dreamed we'd ... be in this place. But it's _nice_, really. I guess."

Tandy pulled a tray from a cupboard and set out some coffee cups. "_Nice_? Man, I can think of a lot of words to describe you and Deacon, but _nice_ wouldn't even make the list," she said, pulling out the coffee pot and pouring. "I remember the first day I met him, at Daddy's. I knew you were over the moon about him right then and there."

"Oh god, was that the day Daddy kicked me out? Can you imagine - I was only 16!"

"Oh, don't remind me. I was horrified."

"Jesus, I'm horrified too, thinking about it now. No wonder you tried to stop me."

"Yeah, well, keeping you two apart was futile. I figured that out fast enough. Oh, the way everyone at the country club was buzzing about it, I thought I'd die of shame."

"I have no idea how you and Daddy _ever_ lived down the scandal," Rayna said dryly, as she cut the cake and dished it up. "The crazy thing is that Deacon was a perfect gentleman while I was living with him. You were convinced he and Vince were going to ... I dunno, _gang-rape me_ or something, right? Well, do you know he never even touched me, while I was under that roof?"

"No way! I thought you two _got together_ right away."

"Nope, that happened later. And even then it was mostly me ..." Rayna's words died off and Tandy looked over curiously, catching a faraway look in her sister's eyes and a small smile playing around her mouth. Tandy's eyebrows lifted and she waited patiently, hoping for some details.

But Rayna seemed lost in thought for a few moments, then she took a deep breath and walked to the back door and peered out onto the pool deck, turning just for a moment to give Tandy a searing look.

"He's a _good man_, Tandy. You, and Teddy, and Daddy ... y'all were always wrong about him. Totally wrong," she said. And then she turned back and opened the door, sticking her head outside.

"Come on in, everybody! Dessert is served."

**5. "I knew exactly what would happen if I went over there and told him I love him." **

"You just got out of a 14-year marriage, right? With the two of you, it's always gonna be all or nothing. Is that what you want? Is that what _he_ wants?"

Rayna looked away, considering. She took a sip of her coffee and looked over toward her kitchen, then back at Tandy.

"Deacon ... wants _me,"_ she said slowly. "I know that much for sure. The kids, the whole family, commitment - I don't know about all that just yet. We're going to take that part real slow, if I have anything to say about it. But, I mean, this morning he said he'd been waiting 14 years to wake up with me again..."

A small smile played around Rayna's lips and she looked up at the ceiling. Tandy recognized the expression on her face instantly.

"Oh girl, you are gone! And do you mean to tell me that you slept over there last night?"

The smile widened and Rayna met Tandy's gaze, blushed and looked away again.

"Well ... I stayed the night. I wouldn't say there was a whole lot of ... _sleeping_ going on …."

Tandy could have sworn that Rayna actually giggled. It was a sound she hadn't heard in decades.

"Honey, you are positively _glowing_! Okay, let's have some details ... I know you want to talk about it!"

Rayna's mouth fell open in mock surprise and she brought her right hand to her chest, protesting. "Now, since when have you ever known me to be the kind of girl to kiss and tell?"

Tandy gave her a sarcastic look. "Honey, there hasn't been much _to_ tell, at least not for a hell of a long time. Right?"

Rayna grinned, conceding. "Yeah, well, you got me there."

"How in the world did you wind up at Deacon's anyway? Weren't you going away with Liam?"

"Oh god, Tandy, I stood him up. He had the plane tickets for St. Lucia's and the whole bit. He is going to absolutely kill me."

"Rayna!"

"I know. _Bad_, huh?"

Tandy raised her eyebrows and nodded.

"I just couldn't bring myself to go. Man, I was packing and I just … I had this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach and I couldn't do it."

"So you went over to Deacon's instead. What about that cute vet he was dating ... Stacey, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, well, that was the thing. He told me they'd broken up, but I didn't even know if she'd be there when I showed up. I ... I kind of told him to get back together with her."

"_Jesus_, Rayna! The way you jack that poor man around!"

"Well, this may be a first - you, of all people, defending Deacon," Rayna said, glaring at her sister, knowing all the while that this time she was absolutely right.

"Honey, you are the most impulsive person I know. You remind me so much of Mama. Remember how she'd take us out of school in the middle of the day for no reason and hustle us downtown for shopping and milkshakes? Or the time she stood up and walked out on her Junior League meeting? Told everyone she'd forgotten her girdle and had to run home and get it off the clothesline. I think Mrs. Fontaine had the vapors for six months!"

The two of them laughed, remembering their mother's frequent rebellions against the strictures of life as Mrs. Lamar Wyatt.

Rayna shook her head. "Well, I've got no one but myself to blame this time. I knew exactly what would happen if I went over there and told him I love him."

"You told him _that_?!"

"Yeah, I did. Crazy, huh? But it's true, you know. I've always loved him, all these years - that never changed. And it's something I've wanted to say for _so long._ Then Teddy and I broke up, and I _could_ say it, and I was just ... scared, to be honest. I was shaking last night when I knocked on his door. But the thing is ... I think I was more scared of _not_ saying it, and missing my chance, than of actually just coming out and telling him. And then ..." Rayna's voice trailed off and the little smile returned to her face.

"And then ... what!?"

"Oh, it's just ... once I said it, once ... I was in his arms again, I wasn't scared at all. Not for another second. It was like nothing had changed, and I knew, right away ... that I was safe, and that it would be wonderful. And it was."

Tandy swore that Rayna giggled again. "Man, I can't stop thinking about it," she said, smiling and shaking her head.

"Oh, we're all in for a wild ride, I can see that. You've got that same look on your face, girl - the one I saw right from the very first time you talked about Deacon."

Rayna sighed. "Yeah, well, I don't know what I'm gonna do. I mean ... about the girls, and Teddy, and Daddy ... god, it's all so _complicated_."

Tandy stood up, put her hand over her sister's and looked down into her eyes.

"You know what you're going to do, Rayna? You're going to go ahead and let yourself be happy. We were wrong - _I was wrong_ - about him all these years, and I'm sorry for that. And you've spent the last 14 years sacrificing for everyone – Maddie, and Teddy, and Daphne, and your career."

Rayna nodded and sighed.

"Honey, does Deacon make you happy?"

"Yeah, he does. He makes me _so_ happy."

"Well then, let him. Let him make you happy and you can worry about the rest of it later. After all this time, both of you deserve to be happy - at least for a little while."

THE END


End file.
